Pre-leasing to begin as historic renovation projects wrap up

By Michael Barrett

Published: Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 09:05 PM.

Long after the Armstrong Apartments stopped housing young teachers who were working at Central Elementary School, it became popular with regular residents. But it had been abandoned for well over a decade, falling victim to transients, fires, water damage and other problems.

A major cleanup of the inside marked the start of the renovation work in June. Then, just like with the hospital, new amenities were added to complement the historic features that are being retained.

The complex’s old window frames and sashes were removed and reglazed to look like new, Kiser said.

The slate roof couldn’t be restored, so developers are installing a slate lookalike roof that is made with PVC material.

The apartments will include fire sprinklers, hardwood floors and security systems, Kiser said.

“The rental market is hot right now, so I have no doubt they will be leased up and plenty of people interested in living in them,” he said.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.

A year ago, a pair of buildings that are part of the foundation of Gastonia’s history were housing nothing more than dust and decay.

A brighter future awaits in 2013 for the former City Hospital on Highland Street, and the Armstrong Apartments on Marietta Street and Second Avenue downtown. Both historic structures have been undergoing striking transitions aimed at fulfilling housing needs and revitalizing their surrounding communities.

The sprawling hospital, built in the early 1920s and later added onto, is being converted into 75 apartments for low-income seniors and disabled residents. The Armstrong Apartments, constructed in 1918 to house unmarried teachers at a nearby school, are being converted into 18 market rate, one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Both projects represent triumphant breakthroughs for the city, which had watched the properties languish in recent years.

“I think Highland is very, very important because that hospital was a great source of community pride to a lot of people here when it was built in 1920,” said Jack Kiser, Gastonia’s executive director of special projects.

The Armstrong Apartments are significant because they were built by textile magnate and philanthropist Charles Armstrong, who also served as Gastonia’s mayor and the local school board president. Their proximity to Main Avenue makes them key to the city’s downtown revitalization plans.

Though they are being carried out separately, the two renovation projects are technically joined at the hip through five complex layers of financing.

More than two years ago, the city obtained a $5 million grant from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program. It used that to offer a loan to The Landmark Group, a Winston-Salem redevelopment firm, to handle the overhaul of the hospital. Landmark also had to obtain extremely competitive, low-income tax credits to make the project work.

The hospital financing and tax credits were leveraged to enable the $2.5 million renovation of the Armstrong Apartments. Both buildings are now owned by Preservation North Carolina, a nonprofit that strives to find new uses for forlorn, historic structures.

Ground was broken on the hospital renovation in late April, and the Armstrong work began in early June. Since then, work has been proceeding steadily at each site.

Pre-leasing for both complexes will start in January, and units will open by March and April, Kiser said.

Bringing it back to life

The old infirmary is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though it seemed slated for demolition just a few years ago. Originally known as City Hospital, it became a county hospital in 1948, before the new Gaston Memorial was built off Court Drive in 1970.

The portion being renovated includes the original hospital and nurses buildings, and other wings added in 1951 and 1957.

Long before the renovation began, the cluttered interior of the hospital had to be cleaned out and partially demolished. Brick veneer work and framing followed. Then came fire sprinkling systems and new Drywall.

During a City Council meeting this week, Kiser ran through a series of photos depicting the dramatic transformation already under way inside. He pointed out old features that are being retained, such as the nursery window where parents viewed their newborn children.

“Every space is different in a building like this,” he said. “There are lots of existing windows. There are lots of common spaces and places for people to gather.”

The refurbished Highland Memorial Apartments will have wide entryways, an exercise area and other amenities for tenants.

Evolution of a ‘teacherage’

Long after the Armstrong Apartments stopped housing young teachers who were working at Central Elementary School, it became popular with regular residents. But it had been abandoned for well over a decade, falling victim to transients, fires, water damage and other problems.

A major cleanup of the inside marked the start of the renovation work in June. Then, just like with the hospital, new amenities were added to complement the historic features that are being retained.

The complex’s old window frames and sashes were removed and reglazed to look like new, Kiser said.

The slate roof couldn’t be restored, so developers are installing a slate lookalike roof that is made with PVC material.

The apartments will include fire sprinklers, hardwood floors and security systems, Kiser said.

“The rental market is hot right now, so I have no doubt they will be leased up and plenty of people interested in living in them,” he said.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.